So relevant to Semantics and Pragmatics Lecture 1 – What do we mean by the word “mean”? Do words mean what the speaker intends to mean by the words (or sentences)? Or do words have their own inherent meanings which are independent of the speakers’ intention?

As our culture changes over time, so inevitably does our language. A major point of debate in the field of linguistics is how we determine the meaning of words. Do certain words inherently have meaning, or do we assign them in some way? And if we determine the meaning of words, can we use them to say whatever we want, regardless of accepted practice? Though these issues are immensely complex, a simple example of the game we play with language can … Read More